Sunday, February 15, 2015

LIFE – If we are asked to define
it, how well can we explain it in words?

One word, impossible.

A sentence, tough, but not
impossible.

A paragraph, comfortably.

A book? I believe that too will
not suffice the task given.

But how well we understand it? How
well can we analyse it? I tackle these questions every now and then!! I never
thought I would get its answer through a real life experience.

I was done with my TCS training
in Trivandrum (Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala) and was returning to Mumbai by
train. I was accompanied with ten other friends. Our journey was spanning over
24 hours from Bangalore. Very obvious it was that we were a mischievous group
of eleven people for co-passengers.

Decorum was certainly missing
throughout the journey. We were having an old age couple travelling with us. He
and his wife were carrying a grim on their face all over the journey. Obvious reasons
were our shouting and babbling.

Somewhere during the journey all
of us shifted to the third tier. And obviously continued our jibber-jabber. I
took this as an opportunity and started writing one of my incomplete blog
(which is still incomplete). Watching me writing the blog uncle beside me asked
if I am a journalist. I politely declined it and told him that I am a writer
and write blogs.

He became more inquisitive and
asked my whereabouts. I was shocked to see his excitement. I counter questioned
him. An uncle took a long, heavy breath and started telling about the numerous
things that he did throughout his life. About his daughter and son-in-law.
Relevant and mostly irrelevant information. I was shocked to know that he forgot
to mention his debit card number and its pin number.

An uncle was a journalist. He has
written columns, guest articles for The Hindu – very renowned English daily,
was a great orator, appeared live on some TV shows on DD National, travelled
most of the European countries, visited Niagara fall, Los Angeles and Las
Vegas. Son-in-law working at a very high post in World Trade Centre with his
daughter returning India a while ago after spending 8 years in the USA.

In short, this man was very
satisfied with his life. He accomplished and fulfilled almost everything one
wishes in his/her life. I asked him his email address and continued writing my
blog. Grim was now replaced with a grin.

The thing struck my head that
this is the kind of life I want. I asked him more about his past. I realized
that my approach towards my life was similar to his. Meanwhile, we reached in
Maharashtra.

We reached Solapur, Maharashtra.
A small family with a bald lady (Didi), a child in her arms and a woman (aunty)
in her 60s followed her. Their tickets were in waiting list. But as it was
daytime they were accommodated easily.

I was done talking with the uncle
and then got busy into my writing. My attention was grabbed by the bald lady,
she had her head covered with saree
and looking outside into infinity. The child was playing with all his
enthusiasm.

The lady (aunty) in her 60s
leaned towards me and said, “It's her
last day today!” I was caught on edge, hearing her statement; she continued,
“She
is having cancer. So, we are going to Tata Memorial Hospital (Mumbai) for her
treatment.” I was hearing her with all ears, “The child is one and half years
old. I am very worried about his future.” I was all dumbstruck with her
claims. She took a deep breath while controlling her tears.

I was feeling terribly bad as
well as curious at the same time. Bad for her condition, curious about what
they are going to do next. Confused if I should shoot more questions at her,
morally I thought I shouldn’t. So, continued my writing!!

Our journey continued, they
opened their food tiffins and aura spread throughout the compartment. I could
easily distinguish different masalas
used in food through smell. Aunty offered me to have some food, which I
politely rejected. She guessed that I am not having it because the lady was
suffering from cancer. To this I told her that this is not the case, but if you
insist I can have some. She offered me traditional Maharashtrian food bhakar-besan. Had she told me that she
is having this to offer me; I would have never rejected her offer at first.

I
offered the same to my friends. And my friends losing all their
senses attacked the food as if zombies are attacking human beings. All food
disappeared in glimpse. Watching our interest in food she passed us bhaje, which was like a geek getting 10
GBps open Wi-Fi internet with unlimited disk space. In all this chaos she
gulped her food and said, “Blessings of you all will help us and the
child.”

She was calling me ‘Baba’ throughout our conversation, which
means father in Marathi.

I intrigued more and got to know
they were running on mere monthly pension of 8,000 Rs. from Aunty’s passed away
husband. That Didi’s husband left her the moment he was informed about her
illness. But telling this, Aunty couldn’t hold her tears and dam busted out
with tears.

The child was demanding edibles
in train. Knowing the fact that Didi is into last few days of her life she
didn’t let him have it. But Didi explained him why not to have stale and junk
food. Mother and her love towards her child!!

Before giving a period to this
conversation I asked them for their phone number and promised them to help them
in every possible way.

Dadar station arrived and I get
off the compartment. Took their blessings and Aunty asked me a question, “Child,
are you going alone? Where are you going to stay?” I just told her and
assured them that I have a place and people to stay with.

Very soon I started working
towards getting some charity/donation/money from various trusts and NGOs. But
all went futile, some were demanding long list of documents, some were
demanding the patient at their office headquarter (which was not possible for
the Didi) and some even asked for politicians’ letters. Knocked as many doors
as possible. Tried every possible NGO, every possible trust.

Finally, I myself decided to give
a share of my salary in her treatment. And with that, her treatment has begun
now.

I deeply remember Aunty’s last
words; she said “I have met a lot of people, but never like you. May be in our past life
you were my brother, father, child. I pray to God that you have all the
happiness in the world. Your child will never fall ill, you will have the happy
life!!”

While transferring the amount I
was in a dilemma about transferring the amount. But it was all about
conscience. The Didi had two dependents. One her son and second her mother.

A simple train journey witnessed
me to two completely different planes of life; on one side was the uncle from Bangalore
who was perfectly satisfied and happy with his life. Achieved all things a man can
dream of. And on other side a lady fighting with her life, her child’s future
and her mother’s life. Still unaware if she will be alive the next day or not.

If we believe, then most of us
fall somewhere in the middle of these two planes. We still complain a lot in
our life. If we worked a little harder, even these complaints would disappear.
But we deprive ourselves from going that extra mile.

I suggest you to keep observing
the people around you. I bet you will find yourself a lot luckier than most of
people around.